You're Doing It Wrong: Your New Year's Resolution

If you're like, uh, 99.9
percent of the human population (which includes us), chances are you've
resolved to get in shape before. And if you're like 99.9% of that
population (which also includes us), chances are your very best intentions gave
way to late-night beer and pizza orgies and canceled gym memberships come
February. But this year will be different, says we. So we asked Brandon Kolar,
a personal trainer at Equinox who specializes in functional training, for some
tips to help us avoid pussing out on our 2013 plans for betterment.

ON NOT LOOKING LIKE A
TOTAL NEWB . . . EVEN THOUGH YOU TOTALLY ARE: "There are [even] many
large, in-shape-looking people who do exercises that make absolutely no sense.
And we see outrageous acts of misuse every day, on every piece of equipment,
including the simplest, such as dumbbells. Most people learn by watching
others, and they learned it from someone who was doing it wrong too. Take the
complimentary sessions with a trainer and learn as much as you can. Find a
friend who is actually a true student of the fitness game, not someone who just
goes in and does cardio for hours on end."

ON HOW TO LOSE THAT
GUT: "A steady diet of
strength training to build lean mass to increase the metabolism, consistent cardiovascular
work (three to four days a week of increased-heart-rate training), and - the
most important - 6.5 days a week of clean eating. Allow a few cheat meals on
one day for sanity and to trick the body into burning fat."

ON WEIGHT TRAINING
VS. CARDIO: "Weight training, by
far, is more important. You can do a strength-training session that keeps your
heart rate up in all of your important zones, but cardio alone is never going
to build quality muscle that will improve your metabolic rate and posture."

ON WEIGHT-ROOM
FARTERS: "Anytime you've got
guys consuming large quantities of protein, chances are you have a serial
farter. Not much you can do here. Figure out who it is, and give him space."

ON HOW TO ACTUALLY
STICK TO THAT DAMN RESOLUTION: "Start out two days a week in the gym, with small
changes to the diet. What's the saying? You can't keep doing the same old thing
and expect different results? Well, this pertains to the nutritional habits.
Once you feel comfortable with two days, work up to three, and add in a few
more sound dietary changes. It's the big change all at once that gets the
resolutioners out of the gym so quickly. Start small and work your way up."